Midsummer Masquerade Report & Survey

This weekend, and close to three hundred attendees, saw the fifth annual Midsummer Masquerade light up the night with masks, magic, and mirth at Loveland Castle in Cincinnati.

Photo by Samuel Sprocket

The gates opened at 8PM, and half an later Syrin Harte began the entertainment with a dance number in the castle courtyard. The attention then moved to the main stage in the gardens where Robbin’ Marks Magic amazed and amused the audience.

Just before 9PM the sun was setting and it was time for the rows of tiki torches to start illuminating the ground of the castle, and it was time for Gandersnitch the Goblin to take center stage in the courtyard, followed immediately by Zahara’s Tangled Web belly dance troupe.

The castle was populated by such a crowd of beautifully dressed people, masks and mysteries, pomp and plumage abounded. Around 10PM the contests began to see who was the best dressed chap and best dressed lady at the masquerade. The contestants lined up on the garden stage and were introduced one by one having to do “something fancy” for judges Zahara, Gandersnitch, and Dave of Robbin’ Marks, before performing a dance for the audience who clapped a rhythm. That night Dan Marker of Sylvan Creations Jewelry was considered the best dressed man, stealing the show with his Jareth Goblin King outfit from Labyrinth. As for best dressed woman, the contest was fierce, and when we say fierce the real contest came down to three savage ladies from the group frequently known as The Mayhems, but after having the women literally battle it out on stage the judges declared Mary Anne McClusky the winner! Both Marker and McClusky won weekend passes to the Steampunk Empire Symposium 2015.

Photo by Potatokraken Photography

Between the men’s and women’s costume contest was the Pickled Brothers Circus with many fire acts that lit up the garden stage as Travis cracked his fire whip, breathed and ate fire, and amused the crowd with his twisted humor. The night closed out back in the courtyard with a second dance from Syrin Harte, and then the Midnight Dance hosted by DJ Nyphoma.

We also had several vendors and food at the masquerade, several of whom donated prizes to the Pandora Society raffle to raise funds for the Steampunk Empire Symposium and charity partner NAMI, because “some of choose to be eccentric, and some of us were just born this way.” The top prize was a sword donated by the knights of Loveland Castle which went to Greg Bogard of Airship Dauntless (Columbus, Ohio). The raffle managed to raise just over $200 toward the Symposium and NAMI; thank you to Alisa Finnerty and Bobi Storer for running the raffle table, and thank you to all our volunteers who helped make this a fantastic night.

While the night was indeed fantastic, we are always looking for ways to improve the Midsummer Masquerade and make it an even more enjoyable event for attendees, therefore if you were attendance this weekend, we invite you to fill out this survey; thank you.
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